President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Saturday that the government will expand its support for local manufacturers that adopt robotics, after inspecting a steel processing plant in Biñan City, Laguna, that received assistance from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
Marcos visited the Nuvali Steel Processing Center Inc. (NSPCI) at the Laguna Technopark Annex on September 26, accompanied by DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. The visit was to review assistance the company received under DOST’s Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP).
The assistance is meant to prepare the company for Industry 4.0, a term for manufacturing that uses automation and other advanced technology to work faster and more accurately.
NSPCI became a SETUP beneficiary in 2023 and acquired two arc-welding robots, according to government statements. The plant makes metal components for automobiles, motorcycles, trucks, aircraft and heavy machinery, as well as local transport assemblies such as jeepneys. Marcos observed robotic welding and laser-cutting operations during the visit.
“We see robots that are merely for display. This is the kind they actually use to manufacture parts,” Marcos said in English and Filipino.
Marcos said the plant’s products meet international standards and that making high-specification parts locally can reduce the country’s reliance on imported ones. He said a stronger supply chain leads to higher production and more jobs, and that the technology could also be applied to other industries, including agriculture.
“The advances that have been made in robotics are really quite impressive. So, it’s very good to see. We will do more of this, not only for Nuvali Steel, but also for the other companies,” Marcos said.
Solidum told The Manila Times that NSPCI’s workforce grew from 71 to 241 employees after the company incorporated robotics. The newspaper reported that the figures ran counter to concerns that robots replace human workers.
Solidum also said DOST is talking with other companies about similar upgrades.
“We are engaging many others. For example, the last facility that we visited with the president was the NutriDense food manufacturing. So, they have also some automation, but we think that they needed robotics in some of their operations to reduce the production time and essentially ramp up their production,” Solidum said.
SETUP covers micro, small and medium enterprises in fabricated metal products, machinery and equipment, food processing and other priority sectors. Government statements listed other programs that support local firms’ financing and shift to smart manufacturing.
These include DOST’s Venture Financing Program, the Metals and Engineering Innovation Centers, and the Connected and Unified Autonomous Technologies with Automation and Robotics (CUATRO) Program. The Department of Trade and Industry’s Shared Service Facilities and MSME financing schemes were also cited.
Reports did not state the funding amounts or timelines for the expanded support. Solidum said DOST is looking at other facilities across the country that could modernize their plants with robots.
